Aston Villa - 25 November

We travel to Aston Villa on Saturday 25th November in the Sky Bet Championship. The following guide has been produced for Town fans making the trip to Villa Park.

This is based on Aston Villa’svisiting supporters guide to Villa Park plus additional information specific to this game.

Special note – Birmingham’s Christmas Market will be in operation by the time of this game. Based on and linked to the excellent market in the German city of Frankfurt, it is a major tourist attraction, taking over much of the city centre near New Street station. It is well worth a visit, but it does mean that the whole area is very busy, as you would expect.

This contains useful detailed information and is well worth reading. Information for away disabled and ambulant disabled fans is included in this document. Note that the guide does include information about the away end upper tier. We currently only have tickets for the lower tier – upper tier tickets will only be available if it looks like the lower tier will sell out.

We have picked out the key information for Town fans below, and added other material based on our experience of going to Villa Park and information that is specific to our fans. This information assumes that we will only have tickets for the Doug Ellis lower tier. In the event that we are allocated tickets in the upper tier (this is dependent on tickets sales), this guide will be updated.

Specific information for Town fans:

Travelling to Aston Villa

Supporters Coach

For those travelling from Ipswich the official coaches are leaving Portman Road at 09:30 at a cost of £24 for adults (with concession prices for U23’s, U19’s and 65+ Seniors), and are estimated to arrive back at Portman Road at 21:00. Coach travel is now on general sale and can be booked onwww.itfcdirect.com.

Note that all official coaches are non-smoking and the consumption of alcohol on board is strictly forbidden. ITFC recommend that all under 16 supporters are accompanied by an adult.

Pick-ups at Stowmarket, Bury St Edmunds and Newmarket can be arranged for this game. If you want to organise a pick-up at any of these locations, please call the Ticket Enquiries Team on 03330 050503. Your details will then be passed onto the coach company, Galloway Travel Group.

Car

There is a Traffic Exclusion Zone around Villa Park on a matchday from 75 minutes prior to kick-off and 30-60 minutes after the final whistle. If you are travelling by car it is a good idea to work out where you are going to park and put that postcode into your Sat Nav rather than the postcode for the stadium.

From Ipswich the route is the A14 to the M6 which you join at the Catthorpe Interchange. Villa Park can be seen from the M6. Leave the M6 at junction 6 (A38). Villa Park is well signposted.

For instructions from the A38 to various car parking options see car parking below.

The journey time is around 3 hours. We generally recommend allowing at least an hour beyond the AA / Google / SatNav suggested journey time, to allow for possible delays.

Watch out for average speed cameras, on a long stretch covering around 25 miles from the start of the Cambridge ring road to Huntingdon. Also note that there are long-term roadworks and speed restrictions on the A14 between Cambridge and Huntingdon, as the entire section is being rebuilt. This is causing even worse delays than you would normally expect on that stretch.

Parking

Residents parking zones are in operation on matchdays as well as the Traffic Exclusion Zones mentioned above. Villa advise fans to use official car parks.

There are a number of car parks:

Powerleague – on exiting the M6 at junction 6, stay in the right hand land and turn right at the island to the matchday parking at Powerleague.

If you take the left hand lane (A38M) you need to stay in the left hand lane and exit the A38M at the first exit. At Park Circus (traffic island) take the second exit and matchday parking is available at the first left turn.

Star City leisure complex. This is suggested in www.footballgroundguide.com. It is well signposted when you leave the M6 and apparently offers free parking. It is around 1.5 miles (30 minutes’ walk) from the stadium.

Closer to the stadium car parking at £5 per car (£12 per minibus) is available at the Brookvale Road car park. This is located at the junction of Tame Road (postcode B6 7DS). Note that to use this car park if you arrive after the Traffic Exclusion Zone is in place you will need to access this car park via Aston Hall Road, Electric Avenue and Tame Road. Villa suggest an alternative route to this car park which is from junction 7 of the M6 rather than junction 6 – drive along Aston Lane (A4040) and turn left at the roundabout into Witton Road. This road becomes Brookvale Road.

King Edward VII School, Frederick Rd, Birmingham B6 6DJ. We always park here and receive a good welcome. The ground is a shortish downhill walk through Aston Park, and it isn’t usually too difficult to get back onto the main road afterwards.

Other schools also offer parking – these will be signposted as you get close to them.

Disabled Supporters Parking

Villa advise that disabled supporters should contact the Villa Disabled Liaison Officer on 0333 3231874 for information on disabled parking. Parking needs to be booked in advance of the match. Alternatively contact our ticket office on 03330 050503 or mainticketoffice@itfc.co.uk who will be able to help.

Train

Both Witton station and Aston station are near to Villa Park. Away fans are advised to travel to Witton station which is the nearest train station to the away end at Villa Park. As well as regular services from Birmingham New Street, Witton station offers park & ride possibilities north of Villa Park on the Walsall line.

To get to Birmingham New Street there are cross country options from Ipswich. There is a train at 08:00 from Ipswich which involves a change at Ely arriving in Birmingham New Street at 11:38. The 08:20 goes via Cambridge arriving in Birmingham at 12:38.

There are no planned engineering works on the Ipswich to London line so travelling via London is an option with the journey time around 3 hours 30 minutes. From Liverpool Street you will need to get the underground to Euston Square. Euston station is a short walk from here. Alternatively, go to Moorgate and change to the Northern Line to Euston.

For the return journey there is a train from Birmingham New Street at 18:22 which, with a change at Cambridge, arrives in Ipswich at 23:02. There are plenty of options via London. Check www.greateranglia.co.uk for details.

Note that after the game there is a queuing system in place at Witton station. If you are booking time-specific trains back from Birmingham then make sure you allow plenty of time to get from Witton to Birmingham New Street.

Getting to the ground from the station

Witton Station is a few minutes’ walk from the away end (if you don’t stop at the Witton Arms pub). Turn left out of the station exit and continue to the roundabout. Turn left into Witton Lane. The away turnstiles are along this road on the right.

Pubs

There are a number of pubs in the area around Villa Park but most are either members only or have bouncers on a door checking entry on a matchday.

The Witton Arms is frequented by away fans – half the pub is allocated to away fans with a separate entrance. It is only a two minute walk from the away end. Note it does charge a £2 “membership” to gain entry.

www.footballgroundguide.com suggests the Yew Tree pub which is around a 15 minute walk from the ground. The pub doesn’t serve real ale but has a range of beers and cider. With the Witton Arms on your left carry on along Witton Lane passing Witton station on the right. After a half a mile you will see the pub on the right hand side.

If you park at Star City (see car parking option) there are plenty of food and drink outlets.

If you are travelling into Birmingham New Street, you may want to have a drink and food here before travelling on to Villa Park. The Shakespeare pub outside the station is popular with away fans. There is a Wetherspoons, Briar Rose on Bennetts Hill. Further up the hill you will find the Wellington, a great pub for real ale drinkers, and always popular with Town fans who enjoy their ale traditional and local. You’ll find pork scratchings and/or pork crunch in every pub in the West Midlands.

And don’t forget – per the note at the start of this away guide – that Birmingham’s famous Christmas Market will be taking place, providing lots more food and drink options!

From the pubs around Birmingham New Street you can either catch a train to Witton or you will find a number of taxi ranks.

At the ground

Family Fun Zone

Away families are invited to the Villa Park Family Fun Zone. This is open for up to two hours before kick-off. The Fun Zone is in Villa’s Academy building which is the building on the opposite side of the road from the away coach park (see map in the Villa away supporter information guide). Activities include face painting, inflatables, challenge-based games and football activities. The Fun Zone is open to all families on production of a match tickets. Adults must be accompanied by at least one junior, while juniors must be accompanied by at least one adult.

Tickets

Tickets for the game are now on general sale at a cost of £30 with various concession prices. Tickets can be purchased on www.itfcdirect.com under tickets/away matches.

Fans will be advised whether tickets are available for purchase on the day of the game about one or two days prior to the game. This information will be published on the club website (www.itfc.co.uk), twitter (@Official_ITFC and @ITFC_PlanetBlue) and facebook (www.facebook.com/officialitfc) as soon as the information is available.

If you need to collect tickets on the day or have any ticket enquires then the visitors ticket office is located on Witton Lane opposite the away coach park. This ticket office will close just after kick-off. After this time, any uncollected tickets will be available at the enquiry window at the Villa Village ticket office in the North Stand car park.

Away area

We will be located in the north east corner of the Doug Ellis Stand lower. To enter the stadium use turnstiles Q91 to Q96. If for any reason you arrive after kick off, then turnstile Q96 will remain open until the second half has started.

Villa’s visiting supporters guide does stress that fans should remain seated at all times and ensure that gangways and aisles are kept free from obstruction. This hasn’t however always been our experience at Villa Park with stewards not always enforcing seating. If you have a need to sit – for example if you have young children or if you are unable to stand for extended periods, please ask stewards to make sure you have a seat and clear view of the game.

Disabled Supporters

There are no wheelchair spaces within the visiting area at Villa Park. Away wheelchair fans will be allocated a space in the Trinity Road Stand which is accessed via gate R44 (see map in the Villa away supporters guide). There are eight wheelchair spaces with adjacent seats for personal assistants.

Ambulant disabled fans should ask to be accommodated on the front row of the Doug Ellis lower tier. Note that there are 8 steps from the concourse area to these seats.

Also, within the visiting areas visually impaired fans can have free access to the match commentary via earpieces. Assistance dogs can also be accommodated, but note that an additional seat will be required (free of charge) to ensure that there is room for the dog. If you require any of these services please let ITFC know when you get your tickets for the game.

There is an accessible toilet in the Doug Ellis Lower Q concourse areas. This is accessed via a RADAR key.

Security

As at all grounds expect to be searched prior to entering the stadium. Villa suggest that it is fine to take small bags or back packs into the stadium – expect the contents to be examined. Larger bags and / or luggage cannot be taken in as there is insufficient room.

Villa are unable to offer any storage for bags, back packs or luggage deemed too large. They ask that, if possible, you do not take a bag with you to the game.

Programmes

The matchday programme is available from designated programme sellers around Villa Park. Subject to availability, programmes will be on sale after the match from the programme kiosk on Witton Lane opposite the away coach park.

Food and Drink facilities

Food and drink is available from the concourse kiosks. Alcohol will be available in the Doug Ellis Lower.

A wide variety of food and drink will be on sale, with prices as follows:

KIOSK PRICE TARIFF 2017/18 - Witton 2 Food & Drink

Product

Selling Price

Product

Selling Price

Soft drinks

Individual Hot Food Items

Coca Cola 500ml

£ 2.10

Pukka Chicken Balti Pie

£ 3.60

Coke Zero 500ml

£ 2.10

Pukka Chicken & Mushroom Pie

£ 3.60

Fanta Orange 500ml

£ 2.10

Pukka Steak Pie

£ 3.60

Water 500 ml

£ 2.00

Pukka Cheese & Onion Pie (v)

£ 3.60

Powerade 500ml

£ 2.20

Pukka Sausage Roll

£ 3.00

Oasis Summer Fruits 500ml

£ 2.20

Cheese Burger

£ 4.20

Capri-Sun Orange 330ml

£ 1.90

Hot Dog

£ 4.00

Hot beverages

Chips

£ 2.80

Kenco Coffee

£ 2.10

Chips & Curry Sauce

£ 3.50

Cadburys Hot Chocolate

£ 2.10

Grab Bag Crisps

PG Tea

£ 2.10

Grab Bag Crisps

£ 1.50

Bovril

£ 2.10

Confectionery

Beer, Cider and Wine

Cadbury's Dairy Milk

£ 1.00

Heineken Bottle 400ml

£ 3.80

Cadbury's Twirl

£ 1.00

Bulmers Original Bottle330ml

£ 3.70

Cadbury's Double Decker

£ 1.00

Bulmers Red Berries & Lime Bottle330ml

£ 3.70

Cadbury's Wispa

£ 1.00

Greene King IPA Bottle 500ml

£ 4.00

El Muro Blanco Macabeo

£ 4.00

The Paddock Shiraz

£ 4.00

Wandering Bear Rose

£ 4.00

Wines 2 for £7.50

£ 7.50

KIOSK PRICE TARIFF 2017/18 - Witton 2a

Product

Selling Price

Product

Selling Price

Soft drinks

Grab Bag Crisps

Coca Cola 500ml

£ 2.10

Grab Bag Crisps

£ 1.50

Coke Zero 500ml

£ 2.10

Confectionery

Fanta Orange 500ml

£ 2.10

Cadbury's Dairy Milk

£ 1.00

Water 500 ml

£ 2.00

Cadbury's Twirl

£ 1.00

Beer, Cider and Wine

Cadbury's Double Decker

£ 1.00

Fosters Pint

£ 4.00

Cadbury's Wispa

£ 1.00

Strongbow Pint

£ 4.20

Heineken Bottle 400ml

£ 3.80

Bulmers Original Bottle330ml

£ 3.70

Bulmers Red Berries & Lime Bottle330ml

£ 3.70

Greene King IPA Bottle 500ml

£ 4.00

El Muro Blanco Macabeo

£ 4.00

The Paddock Shiraz

£ 4.00

Wandering Bear Rose

£ 4.00

Wines 2 for £7.50

£ 7.50

Smoking

Smoking is not allowed in the stadium. This includes e-cigarettes.

Flags and Banners

If you want to bring flags or banners to the game please email a photograph of the flag / banner to Villa’s Supporter Liaison Officer Lee Preece on lee.preece@avfc.co.uk at least three days prior to the game.

Pryotechnics

All 72 EFL clubs have recently signed up to a new Chairman’s Charter to address the dangerous use of pyrotechnics, which include smoke bombs, flares and fireworks, within EFL football grounds.

The Villa away supporter guide notes that they have a camera system that is able to capture all incidents in fine detail. This includes the throwing of pyros as well as other items such as coins and also unnecessary gestures. They state that every fan who let off pyros in the away end during last season has received a banning order from the courts.

Matchday information

For matchday information, Villa suggest that you follow West Midlands Police on twitter - @WMPVillaFC. This twitter account provides updates on parking, public transport, highways information etc. We will retweet any information provided by West Midlands Police from @ITFC_SLO.